BMLT CH 05

Chapter 5

Victor looked completely at ease, as if he had already secured victory.

Well, it made sense.

After all, the only person who could control the “mad dog” of Rosenkreuz—

Was Dante.

“P-please don’t do that. It was all my fault…”
“So at least… don’t tell Dante.”

In the original story, Elje was terrified of being hated by Dante.

That was only natural.

To Elje, Dante was like a god.

He had saved her from a political marriage she was practically being sold into.

By making her his lover, he gave her a position that kept others from pushing her around.

Even though, in reality, Dante only treated her like a nuisance—
like handing a cheap toy to a crying child just to shut her up.

Still, even those small things meant everything to Elje.

And Victor used Elje’s obsession with Dante to his advantage.

Like now—threatening her by saying he’d report everything to Dante.

But I wasn’t the original Elje.

I didn’t love Dante.

“Do whatever you want.”

“…What?”

Victor’s eyes widened in shock.

I repeated myself,

“Go ahead.”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t expected him to bring up Dante.

Dante completely controlled the Rosenkreuz Boarding School.

So of course this situation would reach his ears anyway.

And everyone already knew Elje was incompetent.

Even Dante himself doesn’t expect anything from me.

So before I acted, I had already weighed my options.

Instead of worrying about being seen as foolish again by someone who had no expectations of me—

It was far more beneficial to crush Lucian’s hope early, to prevent bigger problems later.

“Th-the Marquis will be disappointed in you!”

“Disappointed?”

I smiled brightly.

“Isn’t that a bit late to say?”

“…Lady Elje?”

“He never expected anything from me in the first place.”

Victor looked completely confused at my calm response.

Ignoring him, I glanced toward Lucian.

“Then should we just throw this student back into solitary confinement?”

“…There’s no need for you to handle it personally. I can take care of it.”

“No, I was the one who let him go.”

I shrugged lightly.

“If it was my mistake, I should deal with the consequences.”

Then I covered my mouth and yawned exaggeratedly.

“I was just about to go to sleep before I got called out here. I’d like to wrap this up quickly and go back to bed. That’s fine, right?”

Without waiting for a response, I turned around.

“Move.”

I gestured for the guards pinning Lucian down to step aside.

“……”

The guards hesitated, then backed away.

Lucian was revealed beneath them, sprawled on the floor.

His once-proud face was filled with humiliation.

I spoke gently,

“But before I go to bed…”

“……”

“A child who misbehaves should be punished first, don’t you think?”

Lucian clenched his teeth.

And then—

Smack!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

I had slapped him hard across the face.

His pale cheek instantly turned red.

“—!”

Victor gasped.

Even so, that’s still the Duke of Kaleid… can she really slap him like that in front of everyone?

That was probably what he was thinking.

Lucian, whose head had snapped to the side from the impact, remained still.

Even my own hand throbbed—so his mouth had probably split inside.

I stepped closer and grabbed his collar tightly.

“You ruined my sleep. I’m in a very bad mood.”

Judging by his darkened blue eyes, Lucian seemed to think I had been toying with him.

Feeling slightly guilty, I looked away as if addressing the guards.

“You, and you.”

I handed Lucian over to them.

“Take this unruly child back.”

Then I turned sharply.

My heels clicked as I walked past Victor.

His stunned expression was etched clearly in my sight.

It looked like he had just been completely outplayed.

…And honestly, I quite liked that look on his face.

* * *

After locking Lucian back in solitary—

“Everyone, get out.”

With just one irritated command, I dismissed the guards.

They hesitated for a moment, but clearly didn’t want to deal with a villainess throwing a tantrum.

They bowed politely and left.

“……”

Lucian sat slumped in the corner of the room, his head lowered.

He looked deeply shaken.

…Yeah, this is probably my fault.

I had orchestrated everything to make him realize he couldn’t escape without me—

But seeing him like that didn’t feel great.

His cheek is really swollen.

I stared at the cheek I had struck.

The redness had already started turning into a dark bruise.

At least he doesn’t seem seriously injured or unable to move.

Unlike when he was first brought here, the guards must have handled him more carefully this time.

They probably didn’t want to deal with treating more injuries.

“I’m sorry for hitting you.”

I spoke first.

It might sound insincere, but I meant it.

“Let’s treat your cheek first. There’s ointment in the first-aid kit that works well for bruises.”

Lucian suddenly raised his head.

He bared his teeth like a beast.

“Don’t pretend to care. It’s disgusting.”

“…I understand why you’re angry. I had to go a bit overboard so people here wouldn’t suspect me.”

“A bit overboard?”

Lucian mocked me openly.

“You think this is something you can just brush off as ‘a bit’?”

“Your Grace.”

“In this garbage place where I’m forced to stay imprisoned, I have to listen to your pathetic excuses too?”

His sharp gaze pierced me.

“Overboard? You think that’s enough to explain this?”

A cold flame burned deep in his eyes.

I could easily read what he was feeling—

Self-loathing, frustration, betrayal, despair…

And fear.

Far too much for someone who had only just turned eighteen.

But—

This isn’t the time to pity him.

I looked straight at him and spoke.

“You must feel pathetic.”

“What?”

Lucian looked stunned.

I smiled arrogantly.

“No matter how much you struggle, you can’t escape this place on your own.”

I leaned closer, meeting his shaking blue eyes.

“You’ve realized that by now, haven’t you?”

“What did you just—!”

Clank!

As Lucian tried to rise in anger, the chain tightened around him.

Looking at his miserable state, I smiled faintly.

“See? Even now, you’re nothing more than a chained dog trapped in this room.”

“You—!”

Lucian snarled like a wild beast.

But I didn’t flinch.

“If you want to stop being treated like a leashed dog, then make a decision.”

Grit.

Lucian ground his teeth.

I looked at him as if he were almost amusing.

“Either grab hold of a certain way to escape this place… or—”

My smile deepened.

A beautiful yet poisonous smile, like a rose.

“Keep hesitating like a weakling and get trampled in the end.”

With that—

I straightened up.

After one last glance at him, I spoke elegantly.

“The choice is yours, Your Grace.”

Clang!

The door shut.

And Lucian’s despair-filled face disappeared beyond it.